Author's POV
Asher's tone left no room for doubt. His expression was cold, unreadable, but those words hit Seraphina like a tight slap across her face.
Her chest tightened. She didn't understand. What had she done so wrong for him to say that? Where had she failed him, for her own brother to call her an outsider?
She stood frozen, staring at him as if she had heard something wrong. For a second, she almost believed she had misheard.
"Brother!" Melissa's voice turned misty as if she had finally won the battle she had been battling, as she took a step toward him. But before she could reach, Emma came forward, blocking her with a glare that stopped her in her tracks.
